Wednesday, December 19, 2012

As for many
(especially kids), Christmas morning is one of my favourite moments of the year
– not for the opening of gifts – but rather for the long leisurely brunch with
my family.Our Christmas morning spread always
includes a big platter of fresh fruit, freshly baked scones (or coffeecake), an
egg dish of some sort and the crowd favourite, twisted hickory bacon (see
below). This year I will also be serving
“two-potato” home fries with a duo of dipping sauces. These home fries can also be served with a
roast for an evening meal – just switch the name to sweet potato & Yukon gold roasted potatoes and you’re all set.

Here are a few
other brunch ideas (recipes can all be found on my website at www.danashortt.ca) that would be lovely to
serve if you are having a special breakfast or brunch this Christmas:

2.Pour oils into a large
roasting pan or baking dish and place pan in upper half of oven.

3.Peel the potatoes and cut
into rough chunks. Put into a large
saucepan and cover with water.

4.Bring to a boil and cook for
about 10 (ten) minutes, or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork
– do not completely cook potatoes.

5.Drain potatoes using a
colander. Put the drained potatoes back
into the saucepan and cover with the lid. Vigorously shake the pot – the intention is to
bang up the edges of the potatoes – they should appear roughed up (this is why,
once coated with oil, they get so crispy)

6.Remove roasting pan from oven
and carefully tip potatoes into the pan. Toss the potatoes in the oil – each piece
should be coated.

7.Spread the potatoes evenly
over the pan in a single layer and sprinkle with salt – return pan to oven and
bake for about 45 minutes or until browned and crispy.

8.Serve with one or both of
these dipping sauces:chipotle ketchup
and/or lemon pepper aioli

dipping sauces

·Chipotle Ketchup: add about two
teaspoons (or more to taste) of pureed chipotles in adobo sauce to ½ (half) cup
of ketchup. Note: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be found
at most grocery stores in the Mexican food section

·Lemon Pepper Aioli: add the zest
of half a lemon and two teaspoons of fresh cracked pepper to 1 (one) cup of
good quality mayonnaise.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Here’s a recipe for a yummy little
appetizer that you can serve at your next holiday gathering. They are a
delicious twist on “angels on horseback”, an old party classic consisting of
oysters wrapped in bacon.

Prunes or dates wrapped around bacon are
often called “devils on horseback”.

I’ve amped up the traditional recipe by
using luscious medjool dates and goat cheese. Of course I had to tweak the name
too – date & bacon rumaki just sounds more appetizing (classic rumaki are
water chestnuts and liver wrapped in bacon and marinated in soya sauce, ginger
and brown sugar).

You can’t go wrong with the combination of
sweet dates, creamy goat cheese and salty bacon. That being said, feel free to
experiment with other types of cheese (blue cheese works well, as does cream
cheese) other types of dried fruit (such as figs or prunes) and even bacon
(prosciutto and pancetta are equally delicious). You can also swap out the
almonds for a pecan or walnut.

Serve these warm with drinks or on top of
vinaigrette- dressed salad greens for lunch or a light supper.

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Halve dates lengthwise being careful
not to cut all the way through. Remove pit. Place a small amount of goat cheese in
the center of each date. Tuck in an almond and close. Wrap a piece of
bacon around each date. Secure bacon with a toothpick (preferably,
toothpicks that have been pre-soaked in water so that they don’t burn in
the oven).

Place dates on a parchment-lined baking
sheet. Bake until bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy, about 20 to
25 minutes.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I find that quesadillas are a great way to
“clean out the fridge” by using up leftover cooked meats, bits of cheese, sauces
and chutneys.Am I the only one with about
30 different condiments on the inside of my fridge door!? David often asks me (in a less than friendly
manner) just how many different red pepper jellies does one really need?Ok, I’ll come clean, I paraphrased what he
usually says…

Quesdillas can be simple (think beans,
chicken, salsa), comforting (anything with lots of cheese and/or bacon) and
even gourmet. The following recipe for
artichoke, asiago & prosciutto quesadillas is a delicious appetizer that’s
fancy enough to serve company – preferably with a glass of sparkling wine.

I could go on and on… once you start making
quesadillas it’s easy to get creative as the options are endless.

Artichoke,
Asiago & Prosciutto Quesadillas

(makes one quesadilla – recipe easily doubles)

ingredients

·2 (two) flour tortillas

·1/3 (one-third) cup asiago
cheese, grated

·¼ (one-quarter) cup mozzerella
cheese, grated

·1/3 (one-third) cup artichokes,
drained and chopped/sliced

·2 (two) slices proscuitto

method

1.Grate asiago and mozzerella
cheeses. Drain and chop artichokes

2.Lay one tortilla on a clean
work surface. Sprinkle with asiago and
mozzerlla, top with chopped artichokes and 2 slices of proscuitto. Top with another tortilla, press to flatten.

3.Heat flat top grill to medium
high and lightly brush grill with canola or other vegetable oil. Grill each side until golden, about 1 – 1½ (one
to one-and-a-half) minutes per side. Alternatively,
grill in well-oiled frying pan. Note:Watch
closely as quesadilla’s can burn easily.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

On David’s mother’s
birthday in November, I like to prepare for him one of the dishes he most often
associates with her. Usually, it’s
crepes with crispy bacon, syrup and cinnamon… sometimes it’s a dessert.

He always
appreciates the effort which makes me want to continue the tradition every
year.Although they’ll never meet her in
this life, (she’s been deceased for twenty-five years), I’m hoping that our
sons John and Michael will be able to somehow connect with their paternal
grandmother through these dishes.

Next week,
pineapple delight ambrosia will be making an appearance in our home. This is an easy, no-bake, recipe that serves a
crowd – you can halve the recipe (use an 8 inch by 8 inch pyrex dish instead)
without difficulty. It’s a nice recipe
to make in the dead of winter, when local fruits aren’t available.

“Pineapple Delight” Ambrosia

(recipe is for a 9
inch x 13 inch pyrex / glass dish)

ingredients for base crust

·4 – 5
(four to five) tablespoons butter, melted

·2
(two) cups graham crumbs

·4
(four) tablespoons granulated sugar

ingredients for butter layer

·1
(one) cup butter, should be soft, at room temperature

·1
(one) teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·2
(two) large eggs, at room temperature

·2
(two) cups icing sugar

ingredients for whipped cream/pineapple layer

·2
(two), 14 (fourteen) ounce cans crushed pineapple, drained well

·750
(seven hundred fifty) mL whipping cream, 35%

·2
(two) teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·3
(three) tablespoons granulated sugar, or more if you like (to your taste)

·2-3
(two to three) tablespoons graham crumbs, for garnish

method for base crust

1.Stir together graham crumbs, sugar and
melted butter and mix well. Spoon crumb
mixture into 9” x 13” pan and flatten to form the base crust. This crust is somewhat crumbly, so if you like
your crust firmer, add more butter. Place
pan in the refrigerator.

method for butter layer

1.Using a hand or stand
mixer, beat butter, vanilla and eggs together. Add icing sugar a little at a time and
continue beating. Keep an eye on the
icing sugar you need, it may be more or less, as it depends on your eggs. You should have a thick, but smooth creamy
mixture. Remember the butter in this
mixture will harden once refrigerated.

2.Carefully spoon this mixture over the base crust,
taking care not to disturb the graham crust. Refrigerate again.

method for whipped cream/ pineapple layer:

1.Add vanilla to whipping cream and beat
well. As cream begins to fluff up,
slowly add sugar and finish beating. The
whipped cream should be firm, but be careful not to over beat.

2.Gently fold well-drained
pineapple into whipped cream by hand. Spread
this mixture over the butter layer evenly. The pan will be filled to the brim. Sprinkle graham crumbs over the whipped cream layer.
Wrap with plastic seal and refrigerate. Chill a few hours before serving (so the butter
layer can firm up).